Is Crooked Pint Ale House or First Watch cheaper to open?

Crooked Pint Ale House costs $1,191,800–$2,104,000 and First Watch costs $1,210,150–$2,028,800 to open (FDD Item 7). Crooked Pint Ale House has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Crooked Pint Ale House or First Watch?

FranchiseVerdict grades Crooked Pint Ale House B and First Watch A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Crooked Pint Ale House vs First Watch

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Crooked Pint Ale House and First Watch are full-service restaurants franchises. Crooked Pint Ale House requires an investment of $1.2M – $2.1M while First Watch requires $1.2M – $2.0M. Crooked Pint Ale House discloses average revenue of $2.0M; First Watch makes no financial performance representation in its Item 19, which is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule. Note: Covers a partial period, not a full year. FranchiseVerdict rates Crooked Pint Ale House B (Above average) and First Watch A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Crooked Pint Ale House	First Watch
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	AStrongest tier
Investment Range	$1.2M – $2.1M	$1.2M – $2.0M
Franchise Fee	$55K	$40K
Royalty Rate	4.0%	4.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$2.0M	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	Limited data
Total Units	14	474
Unit Growth (YoY)	-1 units	+14 units
Year Began Franchising	2012	2008
FDD Year	2025	2023